SLEEPER
NAIL TRIVIA: Between 1901 and 1920
sleepers were dated by means of a single auger hole
and between 1921 and 1929 by two auger holes were
bored in each sleeper. The hole drilling system was
apparently not that reliable once past the year 1920
and many sleepers were laid undated between 1923 and
June 1928.
The new dating nails were quite simply a short thick
plated nail with two numbers on the top to denote the
year. Their size varied only slightly from year to
year, with the head of the nail varying the most. It
took a few years to establish the new system and there
were some inconsistencies to start with. Between July
1929 and June 1930 sleepers should have been dated by
a `29' nail. Between July 1930 and June 1931 sleepers
were unmarked but from July 1931 through to February
1933 a '32' nail should have been used. From March
1933 to early 1931 a '33' nail was used and from then
onwards the nails appear to have been supplied to
correspond with each calendar year.
In the early 1970s a decision was made to discontinue
using sleeper dating nails on the 2nd August 1973.
These were the last dating nails purchased by the SAR
and quite a few of the 1973 nails were returned to the
store and were later sold to a scrap metal merchant.
For those collecting dating nails the early years the
1929 in particular and the very last year 1973 are the
hardest to find.

Abstract
picture for the day
at Black Forest tram stop

Murray Bridge a magnificent old home
above the river bridges and what a perfect view
too... This is where this wall plaque above is
from. The house is called The Round House. Not quite what the name implies but is a nice
place and well maintained grounds. 18-09-2010.

The
Fireman had to be pulled out of a huge amount of loose
earth that came through the side window as the
"T" class locomotive was being pushed along
on its side by the loading and one empty cement tanker
wagon actually rolled over the driver's top side of
engine. Very fortunate not one was seriously hurt.
Truck driver and his young daughter escaped injuries.
Most of the cattle took the brunt of the engine impact
and all were destroyed.

Here can
see road cattle truck cause of derailment

Engine
laying on fireman's side

Can see
the cement tank where it rolled over engine

A closer
view of underside of engine

Cement
tank has lost its bogies in rollover

Here's
the bogies back here

Looking
West back toward Mt Gambier where train departed.

Looking
East toward direction of Dartmoor

Looking
West back toward Mt Gambier
Note the guard's van that was next to engine.

Note:Reason for an empty guard's brake just behind engine, was
that Victorian jet trains into and out of Mt Gambier
had a guard's brake at both ends of the train.
This because there was no loop towards Ararat from Mt
Gambier at Heywood.
This setup saved
shunting time having to reverse the GB to depart on the rear
of train for Ararat.

Of
course these days no Guard's van on any trains
anymore. Just the one eyed ETM guard winking at
you. ( The End of Train
Marker).

A few 'snaps' from a 1992 derailment on the Appamurra line
at 113 k post - or 4 km from Appamurra.
I don't remember the
story, but at least 6-7 loaded grain hoppers went in the
dirt, literally.
No ballast on these tracks that was worth
talking about...nice and sandy underneath.